Casting a green eye on safety

There is little argument that in today’s workplace significant attention has been given to improving the environmental footprint created by work activity and sites.

Many companies have signed arrangements to improve performance on an ongoing basis as part of the approval of operation. What is often overlooked is how product selection can assist with environmental impact both locally and where products are manufactured.

Many products have the potential to use or contain potentially environmental damaging materials. For example, leather gloves can be tanned with chromium salts presenting a risk where manufactured as well as a slight risk to the user. Similarly, some filtering respirators (half-face and full-face mask filters) have chromium salts contained within the filter medium. Well-meaning companies could be inadvertently supporting less environmentally sound practices even though they are committed to reducing their footprint when purchasing such products. They may even be losing important opportunities to show their environmental credentials in choosing products that have better environmental profiles.

When addressing these issues awareness is everything. The first step in the process should always be in choosing a manufacturer who has a commitment to the environment and community. This is normally contained in the corporate message, which is normally publically available. For example, safety company MSA’s corporate mission statement clearly indicates a global commitment to safety for men, women, families, communities and the environment. Statements like this can be further investigated to validate action as we have all heard promises not kept. For example, MSA Australia third-party certifies the chromium-free nature of their leather products to the appropriate international standards. These gloves bear the standards mark and certificates can be provided to validate the claim.

Recently, MSA reinvented the filtering respirators to remove all chromium salts while maintaining the established performance ratings for filter efficiency. Doing this is not a simple task and required significant re-engineering to maintain low breathing resistance and performance characteristics. These filters are now certified to be chromium free to appropriate European standards as well as meeting Australian requirements for performance. MSA filters are now ‘greener’ than ever and still provide improved worker safety.

Using technology to improve product performance and reduce environmental footprint is not a once-off exercise. It is a culture of activity and involves the entire company. Again using MSA Australia as an example, all cartons are recycled to reduce waste and MSA is a signatory to the National Packaging covenant. It is part of the MSA global culture as well.

Last year MSA developed new sensor technology that dramatically improved sensor response rates and sensor life. Sensor response time has addressed long-standing risks to workers where gas levels rise more rapidly than sensors could respond and long life reduces landfill. It also significantly reduces corporate expense on maintenance but how significant could this be?

Standard oxygen sensors used in most common industrial gas detectors use up to 10 g of lead (sometimes more). In the life of a detector this sensor could be replaced five times or more but typically three times. Taking this into account, the life of the detector and the numbers used globally, the quantity of lead being consumed and often deposited into landfills is thousands of tonnes across the industry. MSA in developing new technology with a green eye on safety has eliminated a significant environmental risk while providing a safer and better value safety product. Green does not have to be more expensive, less functional or less reliable.

We all have a desire to work not only safely but with minimal negative impact on the environment and our community. Many talk it but few walk it. Opportunities do exist to validate good environmentally focused companies really making the effort and to gain value to our own workplace in taking these decisions.

We should all cast a green eye on safety.